Notes

Wild Oats is the third production in which Zoe appeared as a member of the prestigious Royal Shakespeare Company. She joined the RSC at a very interesting stage in its development, sensing an exciting new dynamic among the actors. 'Some of us now at the RSC have a different sort of energy that has not been smoothed, shined or made acceptable. I like that', she commented at the time (see 'I Yearn To Be So Free and Comfortable on That Stage' interview).

Working alongside older cast members on Wild Oats seems to have helped Zoe to settle in at the RSC. 'The great thing about the company is that there are actors like Norman Rodway and Alan Howard who have been there a long time and done their stints', she explained, shortly before the production transferred to the Piccadilly Theatre (see Plays & Players interview).

With this revivial, Wild Oats received its first professional production of the twentieth century. Despite being unfamiliar to contemporary theatregoers, the play proved extremely popular. The production's move to the Piccadilly was described by The Sunday Times as 'the public-demanded West End transfer'.

After Wild Oats returned to the Aldwych, Ruby Wax (who had previously played a maid in the play) took over Zoe's role as Jane. Performing together in Wild Oats and also The Taming of the Shrew (1978), she and Zoe became very good friends. When the former invited several of her closest friends to afternoon tea, as part of a magazine photoshoot in 2005, Zoe was among the attendees and recalled their having met at the RSC.

Press coverage

'With Wild Oats (Aldwych) the Royal Shakespeare Company have struck gold', declared Bernard Levin in The Sunday Times. The production repeated its success in Newcastle: 'Wild Oats [...] left the audience ecstatic', enthused Catherine Hansen, writing for the Shields Gazette.